Spider- heart of gold folkie

OK, so maybe Camera Obscura isn't the sweetest musical confection of the year now (though "Lloyd" is still one of '06's best songs) because there's competition from a Brooklyn alt-folkie named Spider.

Maybe it's not a surprise that Jane Herships started out on an open mic night at the same NYC venue that helped to spawn Moldy Peaches. That's because Kimya Dawson is probably the only performer out there who might have a bigger heart.

A mere two years into her career now, she's put out her debut, The Way to Bitter Lake, on her own label and it's a gorgeous piece of work, worthy of the cutesy kiddie artwork on the cover. How else do you square lyrics like this?

blessings on
the little ones
whose little bones hold
muffins, cakes and scones,
spiders, sticks and stones

That might sound a little too moist for most singers to try to do but Herships' delicate voice is just right for such grade-school musings. She doesn't have to put on any airs to justify her child-like outlook because she literally sings it out in her songs. Dare I say that there's a winning kind of innocence to her work also. She can lullaby me to sleep any time she likes.